


Laws of Attraction

by whispered_story



Series: Laws of Attraction [1]
Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Agent Jared, Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, Angst, First Time, Happy Ending, Hate Sex, Jaguar Jensen, Love/Hate, M/M, Supernatural Reverse Big Bang Challenge, Wolf Jared, some violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-08
Updated: 2015-09-08
Packaged: 2018-04-19 19:39:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4758470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whispered_story/pseuds/whispered_story
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jared Padalecki is the Shapeshifter Task Force's best agent. Jensen Ackles hates Task Force, hates Jared, and is being set up for murder – and Jared is unable to resist him. [reposted, first posted on livejournal 15/1/2014]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Laws of Attraction

**Author's Note:**

> Wonderful [art](http://ladytiferet.livejournal.com/29782.html) by [ladytiferet](http://ladytiferet.livejournal.com).

Jared sits back in his office chair and rotates his shoulders, trying to work out some of the tension there. His shift ended over an hour ago, but he knows he probably won't be home for another hour at least. Not until he's finished writing his report and it's sitting on his boss's desk, neatly typed out and printed.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan – said boss – is a stickler for rules and regulations. Jared, unfortunately, isn't. He likes to break as many rules as he can get away with and then some, and it's gotten him into trouble more than once in his life. Jeff and he butt heads on a regular basis, but they have an unspoken agreement between them that's worked pretty well for the past few years: Jared catches the bad guys, and Jeff, in return, turns a blind eye to some of the stuff Jared does on the job. It is, Jared figures, one of the perks of being the best agent the Shapeshifter Task Force has.

Writing his reports is one thing his boss won't allow him to get out of, though. The last time Jared tried, Jeff refused to assign him a new case until Jared sat down and wrote the damn thing, and after two days of pacing his office and annoying his co-workers, Jared had relented.

It's not that Jared is unruly, per se, he just gets frustrated easily when he can't be out there, doing his job and going after criminals. 

Right now, Jared isn't frustrated because he isn't fighting crime though. He's frustrated because he's cooped up in his office when all he wants to do is go home, take a shower, and meet his friend, Chad, at a bar for a few beers. He hasn't eaten since lunch, hasn't had a good night's sleep all week, and he feels about ready to burst. He needs a drink – and then maybe a couple of days off, where he can just shift into his wolf-form and lie around on his couch all day, ignoring the rest of the world.

A small growl escapes Jared's lips, just thinking about it, and he takes a deep, slow breath to calm himself down.

Outside of Jared's office, the headquarters of the Shapeshifter Task Force are bustling with activity. They're never not – Jared's been here at all hours of the day and of the night, and it's always the same no matter what time it is. He both loves and hates that about his job. He loves that there's always something going on, but he hates that there are weeks were he doesn't get a breather and he's long lost track of all the extra hours he works.

At least today that is something he is in control of, so Jared sighs and cracks his knuckles, before turning his attention back to his report. He doesn't get very far, though, because there's a sharp, loud knock on his door a few minutes later, and Jared groans.

"Yes?" he calls out, and the door opens with a creak that reminds Jared to ask maintenance to do something about that.

Danneel pokes her head through the door, smiles when she sees Jared, and steps in. She closes the door behind her with a soft snick.

"What's up?" Jared asks.

Danneel sighs, her expression serious, and smoothes down her white blouse. "Shit hit the fan," she says, and when Jared raises an eyebrow, she continues, "Major security breach."

"Here?" Jared automatically reaches for his gun, but Danneel shakes her head.

"Not the building." She drops down into the chair on the other side of Jared's desk. "Our system got hacked."

"Are you serious?" he asks, and Danneel rolls her eyes.

"Why would I make that up?" she replies. "I just talked to Jeff, actually. He wants us to keep our eyes open, just in case. We don't know who or why yet, but Aldis is trying to figure things out. And until he does everyone is supposed to be on alert."

"Great. Please tell me I get to leave once I have this thing finished, at least." Jared waves his hand at the laptop on his desk, the clutter of files spread out in front of him.

"Your report?" Danneel asks with a smirk, which widens when Jared nods. "I got mine done hours ago."

"Well, you're an ass-kisser," Jared shoots back

"Hmm, for Jeff? Totally." Danneel leers at him and Jared swears he's going to have nightmares about the mental image of Danneel and Jeff that pops into his head. He makes a face.

"You really need to do something about this crush of yours, because it's getting out of hand."

"It's not a crush. I just appreciate his face. And the rest of him," Danneel replies easily and gets up. "I'm going home. Gonna enjoy a nice long bubble bath and some takeout. You have fun with your report."

"I hate you," Jared says darkly, and Danneel just waves cheerfully before sauntering out of the office to the sound of Jared throwing insults at her back. When the door clicks shut behind her, Jared straightens and shifts his laptop a little closer, telling himself he is going to kick this report in the ass and go home, victoriously and fucking accomplished.

  


Jared leaves the office an hour before he's supposed to meet Chad, after delivering the report to Jeff himself. He, of course, takes the time to lecture Jared about the pitfalls of procrastinating and then veers off into another lecture about how Jared's supposed to look out for himself because of the security breach.

Jared's not exactly sure how his life is supposed to be suddenly more dangerous just because some idiot hacked their system – danger is kind of part of his job, anyway, and if anyone wants to know where he lives, they could just look his name up in a phone book – but he promised Jeff he's going to be extra careful anyway. Humoring his boss is another thing that's part of his job, after all.

After that he finally rushes home, grabs what is probably going to go down in history as the quickest shower known to man, and throws on an outfit that looks as if he at least tried to put a little effort into his appearance.

Chad is already at the bar, a table in the corner staked out for them, and he gives Jared a beaming smile and holds his hand out for a slap-shake-combo they established in high school.

"Jay, my man!" he greets him, voice loud enough to make some people turn and look. Jared only cringes a little, too used to Chad and his behavior after knowing him practically all of his life, and plops down into the chair across from him, unable to muster up any real excitement.

"Hey," he says.

"Bad day?" Chad guesses, and Jared rolls his eyes.

"Understatement." He glances at the blackboard mounted over the bar, listing today's special. "God, I need food. Lots and lots of food. And beer."

"I ordered a pitcher already. Should be here any second," Chad says, looking smug, and Jared groans in relief.

"I knew there was a reason I kept you around."

"It's because I'm awesome. And you secretly wanna bang me," Chad says easily, and Jared rolls his eyes.

"Yeah, right. That's it."

"So, what's with the rough day and the grumpy attitude, anyway?" Chad asks, changing the subject much to Jared's happiness. Chad might be his buddy, but the last thing Jared wants to do is even think about sleeping with him. "Morgan on your ass again?"

Jared shrugs. "Just bureaucratic stuff. I hate days when I don't get out of the office and, you know--"

"Shoot someone?" Chad interjects, and Jared sticks out his tongue.

"Stop crime."

"Hmm, well, you know what helps with that? Getting drunk. And getting laid." Chad pauses, raising one eyebrow. "You don't do either of that often enough."

"Not all of us can be irresponsible _and_ have too much time on our hands," Jared shoots back, but he feels a wave of relief rush through him when he sees a waitress approaching their table with a pitcher and glasses. Sometimes Chad is right – sometimes what you need is alcohol and sex. And one out of two isn't bad either.

  


Two hours later, Jared is pleasantly buzzed. Chad had ordered shots halfway through their second pitcher, and Jared hadn't made an attempt to stop him – instead he's happily knocked the shots back when they arrived and ordered a third pitcher of beer before the other one was even empty.

They'd shared a basket of chicken wings, as well, and Jared had wolfed down a plate of potato wedges that had been a bit too soggy, but his empty stomach hadn't cared all that much. Fed and sated, Jared feels a million times better than he had when he'd arrived.

Of course, that's when Chad decides to be a mood-killer, because Jared returns from a much needed bathroom break to find his seat occupied by a pretty brunette. Chad catches his eye and makes a subtly shooing motion, and Jared knows all too well what that means. For a moment, he thinks about ignoring it, interrupting the two of them and demanding his seat back, but just the thought makes him feel a little guilty. Chad has his flaws, but he's a good friend, and Jared's not that big of an asshole. So he makes a beeline for the bar instead, deciding to have another drink and if Chad is still busy once he's done, he's just going to go home and call it a night.

"Beer, whatever's on tap," he orders, leaning on the wooden counter with his elbows and offering the barkeeper a smile in hopes of getting his drink a little quicker. The bar is quite crowded by now, and Jared quickly glances around to see if he can find an empty stool by the bar. 

Unsurprisingly, he doesn't. What he does find though is what has to be the most gorgeous man he's ever seen, sitting just a feet away from him, nursing a beer. Jared feels his throat go a little dry, feels his whole body _react_ , senses alert as he studies the man. He can only see his profile, but it's enough to pique Jared's attention – cut jaw, a hint of stubble, light brown hair that looks soft to the touch, and Jared _wants_. The scent coming from the guy is subtle, muted by the different smells of the bar and its patrons, but undeniably feline, and while that all but makes him Jared's polar opposite, he doesn't care one bit.

Jared licks his lips, and thinks, _fuck it_. He waits until he has his beer, a handful of crumbled bills pressed into the barkeepers hand, and closes the small distance between him and the guy.

"Hey," he says, trying to sound friendly. Casual. Not like the kind of guy who just creepily stares at another man and then tries to hit on him.

The guy turns his head, looks up at Jared through dark, long lashes and yes, he's even more gorgeous now that Jared can see his whole face. He gives Jared a once over, and there's a hint of smugness in his expression that makes Jared's stomach swoop. 

"Not interested." 

The tone is harsh, words sharp, and it throws Jared instantly. "What?" 

"I'm not interested. In whatever you're offering – a drink, a fuck, whatever," the guy says, _glowers_ , and turns away again.

Jared gapes at him for a second, and feels tempted to say something, do something, because he hadn't said anything wrong. Hadn't even tried to chat the guy up, and what kind of asshole reacts that way to a simple friendly hi? The guy just sits there, straight and shoulders tense, like he's steeling himself for god knows what, and Jared decides to drop it. He grabs his beer and walks away, tells himself if this guy is not interested, it's his fucking loss.

Chad is alone at their table, the girl gone, and he's watching Jared with a smirk.

"Got shot down, huh?" he asks, when Jared sits down and Jared glares at him.

"Shut up. I don't exactly see the girl from earlier still hanging around either."

Chad smirks and holds up a napkin with a name and a number scrawled on it, and Jared huffs.

"Whatever," he mutters. "I don't even know what the guy's problem was. I said _hi_ – politely, might I add – and he acted as if I told him I wanted to take him home and tie him to my bed. _God_."

Chad laughs and waggles his eyebrows. "Well, didn't you?"

"I wanted to talk to him, maybe buy him a drink," Jared defends himself and takes a long pull from his beer. "Seriously, what kind of douchebag acts that way?"

"The kind you're apparently attracted to." Chad reaches over the table, patting Jared's arm. "Know what, big guy, I'll go buy us another round of shots and you can forget about pretty boy at the bar and have fun instead."

Jared slides a little lower in his seat and shrugs. "Fine," he says, and then gives Chad a hopeful look. "Get more chicken wings, too?"

Chad rolls his eyes, but nods. "Only since you asked so nicely, Padalecki."

"Thanks, Chad. You're the best," Jared says with false cheer. He watches Chad walk off and then slides his gaze a little to the left, to the guy sitting at the bar. He's talking to the man next to him now, but Jared can tell from the distance between them and their body language that they're not flirting – still, there's no hint of the animosity Jared was met with.

Taking another sip of his beer, Jared turns his attention away from them, deciding it's not worth getting upset over, and waits for Chad to return with the food and the shots.

It takes longer than it should, and when Chad finally comes back Jared is about to complain when he sees the look on Chad's face.

"What?" he asks wearily, and Chad grins.

"I talked to the barkeeper. Guess what?"

"I don't know, Chad," Jared replies with a sigh. "Just tell me what's going on and get it over with."

"The guy you hit on?" Chad starts, and pauses dramatically. "Jensen Ackles."

"Ackles," Jared repeats. "Like, _the_ Ackles family?"

"Yup." Chad looks at him gleefully. "Man, of all the guys you could have tried to hook up with, you had to go for one that was predisposed to hate your guts."

"That's ridiculous. Just because his family supports the Opposition, doesn't mean he has to hate me. I didn't do anything to any of them," Jared defends himself, and Chad gives him a look.

"Come on, Jay. You're the best agent the Shapeshifter Task Force has in this city – you're the enemy, man. The only person someone from the Opposition could possibly hate more is the head of our government."

Jared sighs, but doesn't try to argue with that. Chad is, unfortunately, probably right about the whole thing and at least it explains why Jared was so rudely shot down without so much as a second of hesitation. 

The Opposition has pretty much existed since the day shapeshifters had finally formed their own government a few decades ago, separating themselves from the human population. It had been a long time coming, and more than necessary, and while all shifters agreed on that, they weren't nearly as united when it came to how things should be run. The Shapeshifter Task Force is at the core of their system, and thus the core of the _problem_ the Opposition has with their current system.

Jared thinks it's ridiculous, really, because the Task Force is protecting people – both shapeshifters and humans. He'll freely admit that things aren't perfect, but they're the good guys and god knows it's not an easy job. Jared likes to think it's like human law enforcement, only ten times as complicated and dangerous. The shifter community isn't much of a community, at best, and their crime rate, while starting to decrease, is still sky-high. 

And the Opposition isn't helping matters by constantly trying to pitch everyone against their government. The Ackles family are among of the most prominent and outspoken members.

It's just Jared's luck that one of them happens to be more beautiful than it should be strictly allowed and hanging out in Jared's favorite bar.

"Fuck," he grumbles, and Chad laughs.

"Cheer up, man. There are other pretty guys in the world for you."

Jared picks up his shot with a sigh. "Well, here's to that," he says, and Chad toasts him.

  


Two days later, Jared is woken up by the shrill ringing of his cell phone. It's still dark outside and a quick glance at the glowing numbers of his alarm clock tells him it's just after 4 a.m.

"This is just not my week," he mutters as he rolls around and blindly gropes for his cell. He flips it open and brings it to his ear while reaching for the lamp on his nightstand with the other hand. "Yeah?"

"Padalecki," Jeff says, voice gruff. "Get your ass out of bed. I got work for you."

Jared groans. "Great," he says. "Will I be allowed to shoot someone, at least?"

"'Fraid not. You're too late for that."

"Dead body?" 

Jeff grunts in affirmation. "Yeah. Danneel and Misha are already on their way to the crime scene." He pauses. "And Jared?"

"Yeah?"

"The victim is one of ours."

Jared sits up in bed, suddenly more awake, his sheets sliding down with a soft rustle. "Ours," he repeats, and knows Jeff means it's someone from the Task Force. "Someone I know?"

"Agent Foster," Jeff says, and Jared curses under his breath.

"Give me the address. I'm on my way."

  


Jared arrives at the crime scene twenty minutes and a handful of broken traffic laws later.

There's an officer stationed outside the apartment, door ajar, and the first thing Jared notices is the mark on the door. A claw mark; four perfect lines running down the heavy wood, like someone took _one_ deliberate swipe at the door. Whoever did this wasn't trying to hide that they were a shifter – they wanted it to be known.

Brushing past the officer, he steps into the apartment. The place is clean, not a single thing looking out of order, and it fills Jared with dread instantly. He can smell the blood in the air, sharp and metallic, but everything else is drowned in the sickening sweet smell perfume, hanging heavily in the air. Either someone dropped a whole bottle of perfume somewhere in the apartment, or the killer doused the place to hide his own scent from them. Jared would bet on the latter being the case. Even the dumbest shapeshifters who commit a crime know to hide their scent, or else all it will take is a chance encounter and the task force will be able to identify them.

Danneel is standing in the middle of the living room, a grim look on her face and her arms crossed. She's watching Misha, who is dressed in his standard white scrubs and examining the dead body sprawled out on the floor. 

Jared hadn't known Agent Foster well, but he'd seen her around. She'd been young, chirpy, and eager to prove herself. Now she is pale and lifeless, her blond hair spread out around her face like a grotesque form of a halo.

"Hey," Jared says quietly, stepping up beside Danneel. She looks up at him and gives him a quick nod. "What you got so far?"

"We just got here not too long ago. I took a quick look around the place already but nothing looks out of ordinary."

Jared frowns. "I'm guessing someone either surprised her, or she knew her killer. No signs of a fight or anything."

"Not that I can see, no. And the perfume is covering up any other smells."

"I'll look around, see what I can find," Jared says, and runs a hand over his face. Agents of the Task Force have died since Jared started working for them, but never like this – never killed in their own home, instead of on the job.

"Did you see the door?" Danneel asks, and Jared makes a soft noise.

"Yeah. Claw mark. Something big. Hopefully Gen will be able to tell us what kind of shapeshifter we're looking for exactly. When's she getting here, anyway?"

"Genevieve? Soon," Danneel says with a shrug. "The mark got me thinking though – it's just one set. Doesn't look like someone scratched at the door to get in or something."

"Deliberate," Jared says, echoing his thought from earlier, and Danneel nods. "Whoever did this, did it on purpose. Probably wanted us to see it."

"This is bad, Jared. A dead agent who apparently couldn't even defend herself against her killer, a mark outside the door that basically announces to the world that this was done by a shifter, and –" Danneel stops and bites her lip, looking around the apartment.

"And what?" 

"The security breach," Danneel says in a quiet voice. "Someone hacks into our system and two days later one of our agents is killed in her own home."

"You think that isn't a coincidence?"

Danneel shakes her head, hair falling around her face. "No, I don't. And Jeff doesn't either; I called him before you got here and gave him a quick report. Something's going on, Jay, and it's really not good."

"Hey," Jared says and reaches out, putting his hand on her shoulder and squeezing it softly. "We'll figure this out. We always do, don't we?"

Danneel gives him a look, but then she breathes out and nods, leaning ever so slightly into Jared's touch. 

"You guys done?" Misha asks, clearing his throat. He gets up.

"Yup, moment's over," Jared replies and smiles at him. "What've you got for us?"

"Single shot, straight to the heart. From what I can see for now, there are no signs of struggle, no fresh injuries other than the gunshot wound. She's been dead for a few hours."

"Who found her?" Jared asks, glancing at Danneel.

"Neighbor. He came home from a party and noticed the door was open."

"Okay. We'll talk to everyone in the building, see if someone heard a shot." Jared pulls out a pair of thin latex gloves from his uniform. He puts them on and meets Danneel's gaze. "Swipe of the apartment first?"

Danneel offers him a small smile. "Sure thing, partner."

  


Jared is looking at old files of all the cases Foster had been involved in since she came to the Task Force, when there's a heavy knock on his door.

"Come in," he calls out, closing the file he'd been reading. Jeff steps in, looking serious and utterly exhausted. 

"Tell me you have something for me," he says, and Jared grimaces, which makes Jeff groan. "That a no, huh?"

Jared shrugs. "Nothing in the files jumps out. The apartment was spotless. There's no trace of the weapon, of the killer, of _anything_. It's like someone strolled in her apartment, shot her down, and left again just as quietly."

"But not without leaving us a nice mark on her door."

"Yeah, there's that. Feels like someone is trying to toy with us, to be honest. Based on what we got so far, I don't think this was anything personal," Jared says. "The whole thing was too clean, too straight-forward."

"I had a feeling you'd say that. Danneel said the same when she called me from the scene. Anything else?"

"Not really. Misha hasn't found anything helpful. It was a clean shot, precise," Jared starts. "The killer knew what he was doing, and they didn't leave any traces. We know that Foster was killed between ten and twelve last night, and a neighbor found the body at half past three, but nobody in the building saw or heard anything suspicious. And of course the goddamn perfume in the apartment hid any traces of the shapeshifter from us. We couldn't smell a thing."

Jeff sighs. "Great. Just great. We have a dead officer and no leads whatsoever."

"Well, we do have the claw mark, I guess. I talked to Genevieve earlier. She looked at samples – from the size and shape of it, it's definitely feline, something big. There were no traces of DNA or anything, though."

"So. A smart killer."

"A fucking anal killer," Jared replies darkly.

Jeff nods. "I know I said this before, Jared, but I want all of you to be careful. _You_ especially." 

"'Cause I'm the best agent you have." Jared keeps his tone light, teasing, and Jeff snorts.

"Because you tend to do stupid things," he replies. "I don't have favorites."

"Liar," Jared shoots back. "But hey, it's not a secret that you do and it's not me, but my darling partner."

"Because she has more common sense than the rest of you put together." 

Jared grins. "Sure thing, boss," he says lightly, and Jeff just glares at him.

  


Jared is called into Jeff's office the next morning, and when he gets there he's surprised to find Aldis and Danneel already gathered there. Jeff waves him in and asks him to close the door behind him.

"What's up?" he asks, choosing to lean against a file cabinet instead of the one empty chair in the corner of the room. Jeff, who's leaning against his desk with crossed arms, nods at Aldis.

"Aldis has some news for us on the security breach."

Jared raises an eyebrow and glances at Danneel, checking to see if she knows what's going on, but Danneel just shrugs her shoulders. "And it's just us, why exactly?"

"Because I think it might be connected to Foster's death," Aldis chimes in. "Our system was hacked, but from what I can tell they didn't do anything to it. They just snooped around."

"What exactly do you mean by 'snooped around'?" Danneel asks.

"That they were able to access any and all information we have stored on all of _us_ ," Aldis replies. 

"Foster's file included," Jared concludes.

"That too."

"And you think it was our killer?" Jared asks, looking at Jeff.

Jeff heaves a sigh. "It's damn suspicious, don't you think? Foster was one of our youngest agents. Inexperienced. She was an easy target, as far as agents go, and I have a feeling the killer knew that."

"Look, I'm not saying it doesn't sound plausible," Jared says, pushing away from the cabinet, "but you're just guessing here. We can't half-ass this and go on assumptions. No matter how suspicious this whole thing sounds, we need proof. And we need suspects – this doesn't really give us anything to go on."

"Actually." Aldis picks up a file from Jeff's desk, holding it up. "I traced the hacker. I can give you a name and address."

"Why didn't you just say so?" Danneel asks, making a grab for the file, but Aldis dodges her and grins.

"I like the build-up."

"So?" Jared says. "Give us a name, and Danneel and I can go arrest someone."

Aldis makes a show of flipping the file open. "It's a bookstore downtown. _Calliope_." He pauses briefly. "Owned by one Jensen Ackles."

Jared snorts, and is about to say something – how he isn't surprised because Jensen Ackles is an asshole, or maybe how karma is a fucking bitch – when he hears Danneel whisper a soft, "No."

"No?" Jared asks, looking at her, and Danneel meets his eyes, shakes her head.

"Not Jensen. He wouldn't do that."

"You know him?" Jeff asks, and Danneel's eyes dart around the room, her face just a shade paler than usually. She nods slowly.

"We went to high school together. We were pretty good friends," she says. "He is a good guy."

"Were friends?" Jared interjects, and Danneel shrugs.

"He went to college out of state and we kinda lost touch after that. I didn't even know he was back in town, to be honest – last thing I heard was he got a job somewhere in California after he graduated."

"Well, looks like he _is_ back and up to no good," Jared replies, and he can't help feeling a trace of smugness. He knows it's childish, knows he shouldn't feel good about the prospect of busting this guy just because he rejected him, and he tries to look contrite when Danneel shoots him a glare.

"You don't know that. Weren't you the one who was cautioning us against jumping to conclusions just seconds ago?"

"Well, he's the one who hacked our system, isn't he?"

"No, someone hacked the system from his _store_ ," Danneel corrects him. "I can assure you Jensen has never been particularly tech savvy."

"I thought you haven't seen him in ages?" Jared asks, and Jeff clears his throat.

"Guys, enough," he says. "There's no use fighting over this. Jared, why don't you take Genevieve and pay this guy a visit? See what he has to say for himself?"

Jared nods.

"Genevieve? Why Genevieve and not me?" Danneel huffs.

"Because you're maybe a little too personally involved in this." Jeff's tone is cautious, but Danneel throws her hands up anyway.

"Fine," she says. "Fine, since you all seem to have made your mind up about this anyway, see where it gets you. But I'm telling you, Jensen isn't the guy we're looking for."

She storms out of the office, brushing a bit too harshly past Jared, and Jared sighs. "I'll go talk to her, and then go get Genevieve. Aldis, you got an address for me?"

  


Danneel makes Jared promise that he'll keep an open mind about Jensen, and Jared, despite every cell in his body telling him not to, agrees. Danneel looks too wrecked for him not to, and it makes him wonder just how close she and Jensen were when she is still this protective years later. And if Jensen feels the same way about Danneel, given that she now works for the Task Force and he's an Ackles.

He fills Genevieve in on what's going on on the drive to the store, and Genevieve just hmms when Jared finishes.

"What?" He puts the car into park in front of the bookstore.

"Nothing. Just...you'd think someone who kills without leaving a trace would be more careful about hacking our system, don't you think?" she muses, and Jared finds himself not being able to argue with that.

The bell above the door chimes as they open the door, but otherwise the place is quiet. Jared takes a moment to take it in; rows and rows of books and a dark wooden counter to his right. There's the subtle smell of printing ink and aged paper hanging in the air, mingling with a scent Jared remembers all too well from the bar. Jensen. Sweet, yet musky, and Jared can't deny the heat that pools in his stomach.

He clears his throat loudly, and hears some movement, coming from the slightly ajar door behind the counter.

"Coming!" someone calls out, voice deep, and Jared hates the way it makes him feel a thrill of excitement, makes him think of that short moment in the bar where he looked at Jensen and felt completely taken aback by him, before Jensen opened his mouth and turned out to be a jerk.

He tries to tell himself it's just chemicals that make him react this way; something about Jensen's scent that makes him react, but it doesn't have to mean anything other than the fact that Jensen smells good and is attractive. He's still a potential killer though, a hacker at the very least, and Jared is not going to let personal feelings intervene with his job.

"I'll look around a bit," Genevieve says quietly, and Jared gives her a short nod. Genevieve veers off to the left, disappearing between the rows, and Jared turns his full attention to the counter, tapping his foot.

The door squeaks a little as it's pushed open, Jensen appearing in the doorway with a smile on his face. "Hey, how can I--" He halts, smile slipping from his face. "Oh. You."

The voice is laced with distaste, matching the sour expression on Jensen's face, and Jared forces himself to stay polite. He reaches into the pocket of his jacket and pulls out a badge.

"Agent Padalecki. Shapeshifter Task Force," he says, holding the badge up for Jensen to see. "Jensen Ackles, I assume?"

Jensen crosses his arms over his chest. "Yeah, that's me. To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asks sarcastically, and Jared can't help giving him an overly sweet smile.

"To the fact that our security system was breached – hacked, to be precise – and you're a suspect, Mr. Ackles."

"Why?" Jensen huffs. "Because I didn't fall down to my knees when you hit on me?"

Jared laughs humorlessly. "I didn't hit on you, I said hi," he says. "And that has nothing to do with why I'm here. We traced the hacker's IP address back to your store – care to explain that?"

Jared sees the moment Jensen's expression falters, disbelief written all over his face. "What?" he asks, voice losing some of its cool, and Jared's instincts tell him the surprise is genuine.

"Do you have a computer here, Mr. Ackles?"

"Yeah, in the back," Jensen replies and then shakes his head. "Listen, this is ridiculous. I didn't hack any system. Hell, I wouldn't know how to, to begin with."

"Maybe. Maybe not." Jared shrugs. "Does anyone else have access? To your computer or your internet connection?" 

"Well, Tom," Jensen says, and he must see the confusion on Jared's face, because he goes on, "Tom Welling. He works for me."

"Okay. Is he here right now?" 

Jensen shakes his head. "It's his day off."

"I need his address then. And we need to confiscate your computer."

"What? I need that," Jensen argues, but Jared just gives him a shrug.

"Gen?" he calls out, turning his head back, and she appears from around one of the book shelves. "Would you mind getting the computer?"

"Wait, how many of you are snooping around here?" Jensen asks harshly, and Jared gives him a look.

"My colleague was just looking around," he says. "Mr. Ackles, it's in your own best interest to cooperate with us, if you want to prove your innocence. So – I assume your computer is in the back?"

"Yeah," Jensen says, bitterly.

"Great." Jared puts on a cheerful smile and nods at the back. "Gen?"

"On it," Genevieve says, giving him a salute. 

Jensen mutters something under his breath that Jared is sure is an insult as Genevieve steps past him, and then he looks back at Jared. "Anything else I can do for you, agent? Because I'd like to make sure your colleague doesn't mess up my office."

"She's the neat type, don't worry. But actually, yes. There's one more thing."

Jensen just raises an eyebrow, perfectly arched, obviously starting to become pissed now, and he looks both infuriatingly hot and aggravating. Jared bites his bottom lip and pulls out a picture of Agent Forster, sliding it across the counter to Jensen.

"Do you know this woman?"

Jensen gives him a puzzled look and picks up the photo. "No. Should I?"

"Agent Foster was murdered a couple of nights ago."

"And this has anything to do with the hacking _or_ me, how?"

Jared clears his throat. "I'm not at liberty to say, but we have reason to believe these two events are connected."

"Are you accusing me of _murder_ now?" Jensen asks. "This is un-fucking-believable."

"Mr. Ackles, I need to know where you were two nights ago, between ten and twelve," Jared continues, unfazed, and Jensen gives him a disbelieving look.

"I was hanging out with friends. You want names?"

"That would be a good idea, thank you," Jared replies sweetly, and Jensen snorts.

"This is insane. No, screw that, this is _insulting_. You can't just barge in here and accuse me of murder."

"I didn't accuse you of anything. I'm merely asking some questions," Jared says. "And if you didn't do anything, then I have no doubt that all of this will be cleared up in no time."

"Yeah, right. 'Cause the fucking Furry Bastards are so fucking trustworthy," Jensen hisses, and Jared bites back a comment at the mention of the nickname. _Furry Bastards_ was a name coined by the Task Force itself, way back when they first formed and still saw themselves as more like a vigilante group from what Jared's instructors at the academy, some of them among the first members of the force, told him. Once they'd become the legal law enforcement, though, the term had been picked up by the Opposition, turned into an insult, something used to hold against them.

It's a shame, really, because Jared thinks the term has a nice ring to it. Makes them seem tougher, more dangerous, than simply being cops – god knows they are. They are _shifters_. Jared has done some seriously questionable things ever since working for the Task Force, and he's not ashamed of it. He's killed other shifter in the line of duty, more than once, but at the end of the day, Jared knows he's just doing what's necessary. They aren't human, and their criminals are nothing like human criminals.

The Opposition – people like _Jensen_ – don't understand that, though, and Jared has given up trying to make them see reason long ago.

Jensen gives him a challenging look across the counter, like he's daring Jared to say something now, and Jared tells himself to breathe easy, meeting Jensen's gaze head-on. Two can play this game, he thinks, and smiles. 

"By the way, Danneel Harris says hi," he says, as casually as he can, and feels a sense of smugness at the way Jensen's expression transforms, anger shifting into something much closer to pain.

"I'll write down the names of my friends, agent," he finally says, and Jared feels like if this was a battle, he'd won the first round.

  


They take the computer back to the headquarters and hand it over to Aldis.

Jared goes about checking Jensen's alibi, and all of the friends Jensen named testify that they hung out that night and Jensen didn't leave their sides. Jared isn't surprised that Jensen's alibi turns out to be solid – instinct tells him that Jensen isn't the guy they're looking for, and in all of the years Jared has worked for the Task Force, his instincts have never been wrong. 

Tom Welling is a slightly different story, though. Jared and Danneel go to talk to him, and while Tom looks about as guilty as a lamb, he has no alibi for the night of Agent Foster's murder _and_ he has a minor in computer science. It's good enough for them to take him in for questioning, and Tom goes willingly, swearing that since he hasn't done anything he doesn't mind answering questions.

"So?" Jeff asks when Jared comes out of the interrogation room a couple of hours later.

Jared snorts. "I'm pretty sure the guy couldn't even hurt a fly, man."

"Maybe he's a good actor."

Jared sighs. "Yeah, I don't think so," he says. "Look, I don't think we're on the right track here. All we really have to go on is that someone hacked our system from Ackles's bookstore, and as much as I would like it to have been him and get this case over with, I'm pretty sure it wasn't. And I don't think it was his employee either. More than that, I don't think they had anything to do with Foster's death at all."

Jeff runs a hand over his face, and he looks tired, worn in a way he rarely does. Most days, the man is like a rock – strong and unwavering, running the Task Force with an iron hand. It's when he gets like this that Jared knows things are serious.

"Aldis actually just came and talked to me, and he seems to agree with you," Jeff admits, and Jared can tell he isn't happy about it.

"Why?"

Jeff gives him an indulgent smile. "He decided to drive by Ackles's store and try to hack into his system, to see how hard it would be."

Jared snorts. "He did what?"

"You know him. Guy was grinning like a loon when he told me. He also said that a high schooler could probably figure out the password. Something about birthdays."

"So. Not Ackles and not Welling," Jared concludes, and Jeff shakes his head. "Guess I'm going to tell the guy he can go home, then."

"Remind him not to leave the city though. He's still a suspect – at least officially."

Jared nods, and feels bone-tired suddenly. They're back to square one – a dead agent, a hacked system, and nothing to go on.

  


Jared is opening a bottle of wine that Genevieve got him for his last birthday, looking forward to having a glass or two to unwind before going to bed, when there's a loud knock on his door.

"Of fucking course," he mutters, annoyed, and then he remembers that Jeff told him to be careful. Given that they already have one dead agent on their hands, Jared decides to heed Jeff's warning and goes to grab his gun. He steps up to his front door, muzzle pointing down, and peers through the peep hole.

Jensen Ackles in standing outside with a seething expression. Jared sighs, and opens the door.

"Mr. Ackles, how can I help you this fine evening?" he asks casually, and Jensen shoves past him hard enough to make Jared almost loose his balance.

"Careful," he says. "I have a gun and you're getting dangerously close to making me use it."

"Who do you think you are?" Jensen asks loudly, ignoring Jared's words, and glares at him. Jared closes the door, pretty sure his neighbors don't need to hear whatever conversation is about to happen. He's also pretty sure _he_ doesn't need to hear it either, but Jensen doesn't look like he's going to be easily derailed. Jared can almost see the anger rolling off him in waves.

"Was that a rhetorical question or...?" he trails off.

Jensen clenches his first and Jared steels himself, just in case. "You can't just barge into someone's apartment and arrest a person for no reason! Tom didn't do a thing and you treated him like a criminal."

Jared sighs and loosens his grip on the gun. He brushes past Jensen, deciding to have a glass of wine even with Jensen there. Especially with Jensen there.

"I was doing my job," he replies calmly. "I'm a Task Force agent, which means I have every right to take someone in for questioning."

"You had nothing to go on!" Jensen argues, following closely behind Jared.

Jared reaches the counter and puts the gun down before turning around, eyes narrowed. "Nothing to go on? I talked to you at your store, didn't I? You know exactly that we had something to go on, so why are you so fucking upset about the fact that we were doing our job?"

"Tom didn't do anything. He never would. And you held him for hours, asking him all these ridiculous questions," Jensen replies. "I know your precious Task Force thinks you are the fucking heroes, but you're all just a bunch of bullies, doing whatever the fuck you want to do! You treat people like _dirt_ , and you think because you're doing it in the name of the law, that's alright."

"Bullies," Jared echoes. "That's what you think? That we're bullies?"

"Yes." Jensen's tone his harsh, and he looks at Jared challengingly.

"Well, let me tell you something. The job we do isn't easy and it's not safe either. We do what we have to do to protect people and to protect the pretty precarious truce between shifters and humans, and you don't have the first clue about what we do, and why we do it."

Jensen snorts. "Oh please. You're not the good guys, _Agent_."

"Oh, then who is? The Opposition? You guys are a fucking joke, trying to cause a stir because you think you're so much better than us. You think you could do a better job than we do? You think if you were in charge everything would be sunshine and roses?" Jared asks. "And who do you think you are, coming to _my_ place and attacking me for doing my job?"

"Well, obviously someone has to tell you what a fucking entitled asshole you are!" 

"Yeah, well right back at you," Jared replies in the same cutting tone. Jensen tenses, raising his arm, and Jared is pretty sure he's about to take a swing at him so he grabs his wrist. Jensen struggles to get out of his hold and Jared just tightens it.

"Would you calm the fuck down?" he hisses, and Jensen glares.

"Don't tell me what to do." He pushes at Jared with his whole weight, and Jared isn't sure how it happens, how his brain goes from fighting to something completely different, but he leans down and presses their lips together before he even realizes he's doing it. 

Jensen makes a startled noise against his mouth, but he doesn't move back, doesn't try to push Jared away even when his free hand comes to rest on Jared's chest. Jared cups his face, thumb on Jensen's cheekbone, Jensen's lips open under his, and then he's kissing Jared back. His lips are warm and plush, and when Jared lets go of his hand, he brings it up and tangles his fingers in Jared's hair and the kiss gets deeper, harder.

They're both breathing hard when they break apart, and Jared presses his lips to Jensen's in another quick kiss just because. 

"You're fucking annoying," Jensen says, voice husky and eyes dark.

"And you think you aren't?" Jared slides his hands down Jensen's back until he's cupping Jensen's ass. He lifts him up, and Jensen's eyes go wide, a moaned "Oh fuck" escaping him. Jared shifts him a little to distribute Jensen's weight better, Jensen's legs wrapping around his waist.

Jared smirks and Jensen rolls his eyes. "Not one word or I'll kill you," he says and kisses Jared again before Jared can say anything.

He blindly carries Jensen into his room, glad that he knows the place by heart, and drops him onto his bed without warning. He crawls on top of Jensen, settles between his legs, and Jensen wraps his arms around Jared's neck and pulls him down.

Jared kisses a path down Jensen's jaw, his throat, bites and nibbles at his skin, and Jensen groans, tilts his head back. This close, his scent is stronger, and Jared breathes it in, feels his cock growing hard – _harder_ – and rocks down against Jensen. Jared has been with a few feline shifters, and their scent has never been a turn-on until now. But Jensen smells musky and sweet all at once, body strong and graceful as he writhes under Jared, and Jared is pretty sure he could do this for the rest of his life and not get enough. A growl escapes Jared's lips and he sucks on the soft skin where Jensen's neck and shoulder meet, wanting to leave a mark on him.

They undress in a hurry, kissing and grinding, hands exploring newly revealed skin. Jensen, for all his character flaws, is beautiful – every single inch of his body. Jared strokes his hands down Jensen's sides, thumbs brushing over his toned stomach, and he ducks down, tongues one of Jensen's nipples before sucking it in his mouth, teeth closing around it. Jensen moans and arches up into his mouth.

"Just fuck me already," he groans, burying his fingers in Jared's hair and pushing him down. Jared thinks about fighting him on this for a split second, keeping control, but he's not exactly feeling patient either. He trails kisses down Jensen's stomach, nips at the taut skin there and feels the muscles twitch under his touch. He smiles when he reaches Jensen's cock, hard and damp, and licks over the head. Jensen hisses, and Jared wraps one hand around the base and sucks the tip into his mouth. Jensen tries to thrust up, but Jared pins him down at his hips and lets Jensen's dick slip out of his mouth.

"No. Come on," Jensen complains, and Jared grins. He ducks down, bypassing Jensen's cock and balls, and licks behind them. He slides his hands under Jensen's thighs, pushes them up and out, and runs his tongue over his hole before pressing against it, inside. 

Jensen makes the sweetest, deliciously desperate noises as Jared starts fucking him with his tongue, getting him wet and relaxed. The noises become more urgent when Jared adds his fingers, slick with spit. Jensen opens up under his touch, rocking down on Jared's fingers and mouth, and pleading for more.

"Stop teasing," he finally groans, voice rough. "Fucking bastard."

Jared pulls back a little, grinning. "Such a sweet-talker."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you wanted romance," Jensen bites back, and Jared grins and looms over him, kissing him open-mouthed and dirty.

He pushes himself back up, propped up on his arms and reaches for his nightstand, rummaging around the drawer for the lube and the box of condoms.

He pats Jensen's side with his free hand. "Turn around."

Jensen gives him a look, both heated and indignant, but turns around. Jared sits back, helps him arrange himself on his hands and knees, and grabs the lube, popping the tube open. He slicks his finger up and nudges Jensen's legs apart, sliding his fingers between Jensen's cheeks, circling Jensen's entrance before pushing in. He doesn't go for finesse this time, just spreads the lube around and pushes his fingers in and out a few times to make sure Jensen is good.

"Ready?" he asks, and Jensen snorts.

"Ten minutes ago," he replies, looking at Jared over his shoulder. Jared pulls his fingers out and grabs one of the condoms from the box. He rolls it down his cock, adds lube, excitement, pleasure and need rolling through him, and then positions himself before he starts pushing in. There's a hint of resistance at first, but then the head of Jared's cock breaches Jensen and Jensen lets out a loud, sudden moan.

Jared slides into Jensen, fingers digging into the flesh of Jensen's hips, and doesn't stop until he's all the way in. Jensen is tight around him, hot, almost too much. Jared bites his lower lip as he starts thrusting in and out of him, picking up speed as he feels Jensen relax around him, push back into him.

Jared leans over Jensen, places wet kisses onto the back his neck, his shoulder, weight pressing Jensen down as he fucks him. Jensen isn't small or slender, but having him under him like that makes Jared feel powerful, makes him feel tall and broad as his body covers Jensen's. It's _thrilling_ , makes him feel connected to Jensen, in control over Jensen.

He slides one of his hands around Jensen, wraps it around his cock and starts jerking him off.

"Fuck yes," Jensen groans, and Jared hums in reply, angles his hips in a way that makes Jensen gasp and grins. 

It's hard and fast, and over too soon. Jared uses every trick he knows as he feels himself getting closer to the edge, makes sure every thrust in hits Jensen's prostate as he strokes Jensen's cock, and he feels a flash of satisfaction when Jensen lets out a noise and comes. Jared thrusts in twice more and feels his own orgasm wash over him, pleasure hot and white, and he bites into the flesh of Jensen's shoulder to keep any embarrassing noises in.

He collapses on top of Jensen, and Jensen makes a startled, huffy noise.

"Sorry," Jared mutters, pulling out and rolling onto his side. He pulls Jensen with him, one hand on Jensen's stomach, and slides his nose down Jensen's throat, breathes in. Jensen's scent is salty with sweat now, and mixed heavily with Jared's own and it makes him feel satisfied. He fits his mouth over the place where he bit Jensen, tongues the indentations his teeth made, and then sucks on the spot, grinning when Jensen lets out a helpless whimper.

  


Jensen leaves not too soon after, and Jared lies in bed and watches Jensen get dressed, cataloging the marks he's left on Jensen's body.

"Just so you know, this doesn't mean shit." Jensen tugs his jeans up with a jerk, his expression is an odd mix of well-fucked and angry. It makes Jared feel pleased.

"I still think you're an asshole, sweetheart, don't worry," he replies, and Jensen glares at him. He grabs his shirt, pushes his feet into his shoes without bothering with his socks.

"Hey, Jensen," Jared calls out before Jensen leaves, and Jensen stops.

"What now? Want to get in one last, stupid comment?"

"Change the password of your Wi-Fi," Jared advises. "Apparently it's really easy to hack."

Jensen gives him a look, but then nods curtly. "Yeah." He hesitates, then adds, "Thanks."

Jared waves him off and rolls out of bed, following Jensen to the door to see him out.

  


A second body turns up the next morning. Janet Lianne Gilmore worked for the government as a liaison between shifters and humans, and she's found in a park close to the apartment complex where she lived. One shot in the heart, killed between nine and midnight, according to Misha, and the same sweet scent of perfume hanging in the air as there had been in the apartment. There's a claw mark on a tree next to her, bold, neat cuts in the bark.

Jared kneels down next to Misha while he looks at the body, and frowns at the corpse.

"Tell me you found something useful this time," he pleads, glancing around the spot where the body is lying.

Misha shoots him a grin and holds up a small plastic bag. "There were a few hairs on her blouse close to the gunshot wound. Looks like fur."

"So possibly from a shifter," Jared concludes and Misha shrugs. 

"Could be. Could be a pet, too, hard to say," he says, but Jared claps him on the shoulder anyway.

"I'm sure Genevieve will be able to tell us more. Keep looking – maybe there's something else. I'll take anything, at this point."

He gets back up and waves Danneel over. Looking back down at the dead body of Janet Lianne Gilmore, Jared sends up a silent prayer that they finally have something to go on. Something that will help them solve this case before anyone else dies.

  


Jared knocks on the open door leading to the lab, and Genevieve looks up from the microscope she was peering into.

"Hey." She smiles, and Jared steps in.

"Hey," he replies. "Tell me you have some good news for me, because those samples we sent to you are really all we have to go on. And we really need something, Gen."

"Jeff getting impatient?"

"Agitated, is more like it." Jared leans against one of the tables in the room with a sigh. "First a dead agent, now a dead government official. The liaison between us and humans, on top of it. This is gonna cause quite a stir and we need answers, soon. Jeff is trying to keep things under wrap as long as he can, but it's not gonna work forever and we better have something to show when this thing blows up."

Genevieve grins. "Well, you're in luck. The hairs are from a shifter – a black jaguar, to be exact."

"A black jaguar," Jared echoes. "Those aren't too common, right?"

"Nope," Genevieve agrees and her smile widens. "Wouldn't matter either way, because I ran the DNA through the system and got a match."

"You're kidding me?" Jared stands up straight. "Seriously?"

"Yeah." Genevieve slides a print out over to Jared. 

"Jensen Ackles," she says, just as Jared reads the name spelled out in neat, black letters. He feels an odd sense of dread, or maybe defeat, and slumps back against the table behind him.

"Okay, now I'm confused," Genevieve adds. "Shouldn't you be happy? You wanted a suspect, I handed you one on a silver platter. I know he had an alibi for the last murder, but I'm guessing his friends were in on it, Jared."

"It wasn't him," Jared says, and puts the paper down next to him. "Fuck. I was really hoping this would pan out."

"Why wasn't it him?" 

Jared snorts, thinking back to Jensen the previous night, all flushed and demanding and beautiful. "Because he has an alibi this time as well."

"What? How do you know?"

"I know because he was with me last night."

"With you," Genevieve echoes, and Jared gives her an exasperated look.

" _With_ me. As in, in my bed," he explains.

Genevieve's eyes widen. "You slept with him? He's an Ackles, and he's mixed up in this whole thing and you _slept with him_?"

"I know, okay? He's just...it's kinda complicated," he says, and feels like a liar, because it's not that complicated. Jensen is attractive, and Jared is attracted _to_ him, but that alone doesn't justify what happened the night before. Jared feels like he can't help himself though, not around Jensen.

"Oh Jared," Genevieve murmurs, and steps close, touching his arm.

"I'll go talk to him," Jared says, ignoring her, because Genevieve has always been good at reading his mind, at knowing things about him he doesn't, and he can't deal with that at this moment. "If someone asks you about the samples, just...don't tell them they're Jensen's until I've talked to him, okay?"

Genevieve rolls her lower lip between her teeth, looking unsure, but she finally nods. "Okay. Just be careful."

Jared huffs and leans in, kissing her temple. "He's not dangerous. Not in the way you think anyway."

Genevieve cracks a smile and shrugs. "Maybe not. But someone out there is," she reminds him, and Jared can't help agree with her. She is right – and whoever that person is, they're not to be taken lightly. And now they're not just playing with Task Force, they're also setting Jensen up for murder.

Jared might not get along with Jensen, might not like him very much, but he feels a need to protect Jensen that makes his stomach clench painfully, makes anger boil up inside of him.

+

Jensen's address isn't in the phone book, so Jared goes straight to _Calliope_ only to find out Jensen isn't working. Tom Welling is, though, and he looks at Jared with suspicion when Jared asks for Jensen's address.

"I don't think he'd be happy if I told you where he lives," Tom says, tone brusque.

"Look, I get it. But this is important. _Official_. I need to talk to him."

"Is he in trouble?" Tom asks, and Jared gives him a polite smile.

"I'm not at liberty to say what this is about, but I can promise you this is for Jensen's own good."

Tom sighs, but he finally gives Jared Jensen's address.

He lives only a short drive away, and Jared is parking his car outside the building Jensen lives in a few minutes later when his phone rings. He glances at it, sees Danneel's name on the display, and after a moment of hesitation, decides to ignore it. Instead he gets out of his car, locks the door, and jogs over to the front door. It's open, and Jared makes a mental note to tell Jensen to be more careful about these kinds of things from now on, before he goes inside and makes his way up the stairs.

He finds Jensen's name outside an apartment on the third floor and rings the bell twice.

Jensen opens the door, sighs when he sees him, and gives him a forced smile. "Agent Padalecki. What now?"

"We need to talk," Jared says. "Can I come in?"

Jensen steps aside, but Jared notes the trace of reluctance.

"Is this about last night?" Jensen leads Jared into the kitchen, waving his hand at the table there. "Because I think I made myself pretty clear about that when I left. It was just sex, nothing more."

"We found another body," Jared says without preamble, and takes a seat.

"Oh." Jensen looks surprised, and then sits down across from him. "So, what? Is the suspect a friend of mine this time too?"

"We found fur from a shifter. Black jaguar." Jared gives Jensen a pointed look. "Yours, but you probably could have guessed that seeing as you're the only one of that kind in town."

He'd thought Jensen had looked shocked last time he came to talk to him, but that was nothing compared to this. Jensen looks at him, mouth open as if to say something, but for a moment no words come out. 

"So," he finally says, and his voice is shaking a little. "Are you here to arrest me then?"

"No. See, the woman was killed last night."

"Last night," Jensen repeats. "While we were...."

"Yeah." Jared gives Jensen a small smile. "Best damn alibi you could have."

Jensen snorts and runs a hand down his face. "Who was it? The victim."

"Janet Lianne Gilmore. She's...she _was_ the local liaison between shifter and humans," Jared explains. "Did you know her?"

Jensen shakes his head. "No."

"I didn't think you would," Jared admits. "Jensen, is there anyone you can think of who might be trying to set you up? Anyone you've gotten into a fight with recently, who you might have offended or upset in any way?"

Jensen licks his lips, shakes his head. "No. There's no one. I don't really interact with many people outside of the store. I...I don't get this."

"Are you sure?" Jared prods and Jensen gives him an exasperated look.

"Yes, Jared, I'm sure. Unless you count, I haven't been having problems with anyone."

Jared snorts. "Well, sorry if I got the impression you're a bit of a confrontational person."

"I'm not," Jensen says. "You just piss me off."

"Noted."

"Look," Jensen starts, "I just moved back here recently. I have a few friends and we hang out sometimes, and I have dinner with my family every other week, but other than that I sell books and that's it. That's my life. There's no reason why anyone should want to set me up for a crime."

"What about your involvement in the Opposition? That's not exactly _not_ controversial."

Jensen sighs. "I'm not really as involved as you might think. I mean, I'll be the first to admit I'm not always happy with how the shifter community is governed and I'm not a fan of the Task Force, but I'm not exactly a poster boy of the Opposition either. I mostly keep out of stuff like that and just, you know, live my life."

"Your family is pretty active, though."

"Yeah, well. That's them, I'm me." Jensen shrugs. "As I said, I just moved back here anyway. How could I possibly have made an enemy in that short amount of time?"

Jared sighs. "It can happen pretty fast, believe me. I've seen some serious crazy shit over the years," he says. "Why'd you move back here anyway? From what Danneel said, it sounded like you disappeared from the face of the planet when you went to college."

"I kinda did." Jensen gets up and walks over to the fridge. He gets out two bottles of water and hands one to Jared when he sits back down. "I just wanted to get away. People in this city hear my name and think they know who I am and I wanted to be my own person, lead my own life."

"But?"

Jensen untwists the cap and takes a long swig from the bottle. "My aunt died and left me her store. I love books, always have, and I used to hang out at the store and watch her work, and once I was old enough I helped out here and there," he says. "She knew I loved the place. And I didn't really have a lot keeping me in California, so I came back. Decided to give it a shot."

Jared hums and takes a sip of his own water and thinks about what Jensen just told him. Someone out there has a big problem with Jensen, whether or not Jensen is aware of it, and Jared knows how bad these things can get. How dangerous this could be. And as long as their killer is still running around freely, Jensen needs to be careful.

"So what now?" Jensen asks, and Jared gives him a forced smile.

"I wish I knew."

  


"Where the hell were you?" Jeff demands loudly, looming in the doorway of Jared's office before Jared even had the time to take off his jacket.

"Umm, out?"

"Out?" Jeff echoes, glaring, and Jared might have over two inches on the guy, but he feels pretty damn small suddenly. "Out? You think that's the right answer to my question?"

"Well," Jared starts and then shrugs, not really sure what to say. Jeff steps into the office and slams the door shut behind him.

"Jared, you have to know that what you did was incredibly stupid. Going to see a suspect in a murder case on your own? Why would you do that?" 

Jared sighs. "So, Gen told you."

"I'm her boss, I can make her tell me stuff. Now, would you be so kind as to tell me what the hell you were thinking?"

"I was thinking that the guy is innocent and that there was nothing dangerous about going to talk to him instead of barging in there with a whole army of people," Jared replies calmly. "I was thinking that if we want to figure this whole thing out, we need him on our side, because he's the only clue we have."

"You're going to be the end of me, you know that, kid?" Jeff sinks down in the chair across from Jared's desk. "He's our prime suspect, Jared."

"What exactly did Genevieve tell you?" Jared asks, and Jeff gives him a questioning look.

"That the hair on the victim belonged to Jensen Ackles and that you went to talk to him, because you didn't think he was the killer. And I would like to know why? Because all evidence points to him being involved in this."

"Well, the evidence is misleading this time, Jeff. Because I _know_ he wasn't the killer. He couldn't have been."

"And why is that?"

Jared meets Jeff's eyes. "Because. Well, let's just say I know."

"Jared."

Jared heaves out a breath. "What do you want me to say, Jeff?" he asks. "That I was balls-deep inside of him when Janet Lianne Gilmore was being murdered?"

Jeff falters, eyes widening. "Was that one of your funny jokes or..."

"No."

"You fucked a suspect?"

"He isn't a suspect! He had an alibi for the first murder, and the whole hacking thing was a bust as well," Jared says. 

"He's still involved in this," Jeff replies seriously, and Jared shrugs.

"He is. But he's a victim, not a criminal. And hey, look at the bright side here – at least when he's with me you know he's safe."

Jeff groans and gets up, giving Jared one last pointed stare. "Be careful, Jared," he says. "And for god's sake, use your common sense and try not to do any more stupid stuff."

  


Jared stuffs himself with take-out food that's too greasy and too salty that night, and then washes it down with a bottle of beer. He's not tired exactly, more frustrated than anything because their investigation is going fast nowhere.

Jared knows it's only a matter of time before the newspapers catch wind of the whole thing, before they make the connection between the two murders and realize these are not just random crimes. And the fact that Jensen is involved, is most likely being set up, makes Jared's gut clench, makes him feel uncomfortable and worried. They're not friends, they don't even like each other, but the idea of Jensen being in danger doesn't sit well with Jared.

When he goes to bed after throwing away the remains of his dinner, he just strips off his clothes and shifts into his wolf form, hoping it will help to ease the day's tension. He sniffs the room for a moment, nosing a pair of jeans out of the way, before jumping onto the bed. He turns in a circle, trying to find a comfortable spot before curling up.

The bed still smells like Jensen, the scent sharper now that Jared has shifted. He thought it would bother him in his wolf form, agitate him that the scent of a jaguar is all over his apartment, but instead the smell is almost familiar, calming, and Jared huffs out a breath and closes his eyes, nodding off in a matter of minutes.

  


Jared knocks on the door of Misha's office, waits until he hears a soft noise coming from inside, and steps in. Misha is lying on the floor, huge lizard body sprawled out in a sunny spot, and Jared shakes his head.

"Hey." He taps foot against the floor. "We have a meeting in ten. Shift and get your butt upstairs, man."

Misha looks at him, unmoving, and Jared sighs, before turning around and leaving the office. He knows Misha well enough to know he'll be there.

He drops by his office, checks his phone, and then makes his way to the conference room. Danneel, Jeff, and Genevieve are already there, milling around the table and chatting. 

"Hey guys," Jared says and gives a general wave.

He sits down in one of the chairs, stretching his legs and letting out a groan. If he was frustrated a few days ago, he's going out of his head by now. It's been three days since they found the second body and they still have absolutely nothing to go on. It feels like they've tried every angle they could think of for this case, interviewed every person they could possibly interview, and have come up with nothing.

The door of the room opens again and Misha steps in, hair mussed but at least fully dressed. There've been a few slip-ups once or twice.

"Everyone is here. Good," Jeff says, and everyone finds a place and settles down.

"What's this meeting about, Jeff?" Jared asks, and Jeff sighs.

"Well, we got a call from the press. Someone let them in on the fact that there were claw marks found on the door of Agent Foster's apartment and another set at the site where Janet Lianne Gilmore was found – something I tried to keep from the press until we had a solid lead. Unsurprisingly, they've put two and two together and now they're up in arms about a serial killer being on the loose."

"Great," Danneel groans. "That's really just great. So people are going to start panicking and we're gonna field questions from journalists now, on top of trying to solve this case. Which, may I point out, we're not?"

"So, what's the plan?" Genevieve asks, and Jeff glances at Jared, who holds up his hands.

"Don't look at me. I'm fresh out of ideas. At this point, I'm starting to hope there'll be another body that gives us a damn clue."

Jeff looks at him reproachfully, but his expression falters. "I wish I could reprimand you for that comment, but at this point, I'd take it," he admits.

"Careful what you wish for," Danneel mutters, looking unhappy. "What about Jensen? How is it possible that he's being set up for murder and we have absolutely nothing to go on?"

Jared sighs. "Well, according to him there's not one single person in the world who could possible want to harm him," he says sarcastically.

"Well, even the people who supposedly dislike him are sleeping with him, so it's not all that surprising, is it?" Danneel replies, and Jared fakes a smile and throws a piece of paper at her.

Jeff groans. "Great. No wonder we're not getting any work done," he mutters. "Danneel is right though. Ackles is the only real clue we have so far – there must be something there. Someone who wants to see him put away, or at least involved in a scandal."

"He _is_ an Ackles – there are probably tons of people who have issues with him, given their involvement in the Opposition. But there's no one that stands out, and there's no reason why someone would go after Jensen in particular," Jared says with a shrug.

"Well, talk to him again. And I mean talk, Padalecki, nothing else. Got it?" Jeff says, and Jared nods dutifully. "Good. Anyway, I just wanted to inform you that the press might be trying to wheedle information out of you, so be careful who you talk to."

"We've been doing this job for years, you know." Danneel smiles. "We know how to handle noisy journalists."

"Yeah, well, this case is a bit different than most other cases we've had," Jeff says, and sits back in his seat with a sigh. "Okay, guess the meeting is dismissed. I want some results on my desk as soon as possible, guys – I'm not kidding about this."

"What does he want us to do, magically pull information out of our asses?" Jared mutters when he exits the conference room behind Genevieve, and she turns around and grins. 

"If anyone could do it, it's you, Jay. You know all about asses after all."

"I do," Jared replies proudly, and jostles Genevieve a little for good measure. She laughs and retaliates by pinching him in the side.

"Hey, Jared!" someone calls, and Jared turns around to find Lauren Cohan jogging up. 

"Lauren, what's up?"

"Jensen Ackles is in your office and wants to talk to you."

"Uh, okay. Thanks," Jared says, and next to him, Genevieve whispers, "Uh-oh."

"Uh-oh? What's that supposed to mean," Jared asks, and Genevieve smiles at him.

"Nothing. Just, talking about asses." She cocks her head to the side. "Which is an ambiguous statement when it comes to Ackles, huh? Given that you both like his ass and think he _is_ an ass."

"Shut up and go do your work," Jared orders in a stern voice, and Genevieve laughs and pushes him down the hallway.

"Try not to sleep with him in your office, Jared!" she calls out, and Jared flips her off without looking back.

  


"Can't stay away from me, can you?" Jared asks, strolling into the room.

Jensen, who's apparently been studying Jared's degree from the academy, framed and displayed on the wall, turns to him and rolls his eyes. "You overestimate your skills, Agent Padalecki." 

Jared grins. "I don't think so." He walks to his desk and sits down, crossing his legs. "In fact, I'm pretty sure you were pretty appreciative of my skills a few nights ago."

"You're not very professional, are you?" Jensen asks and sits down across from him.

"I didn't know you were here on business."

"Well, I am," Jensen says stiffly, and Jared sobers up. He leans forward.

"Okay. Shoot. What's up?"

Jensen shifts a little. "Well, the thing is, I've been thinking about what you said when you came to see me. About who could be wanting to set me up."

"Please tell me you thought of someone." Jared says feels a flare of hope. They need a breakthrough, and they need it quick.

Jensen grimaces. "Well, no. But there's something else that occurred to me."

"Okay."

"My fur was found on the woman that was murdered, right?" Jensen starts, and Jared nods. "I've only been back in town for two months and I haven't shifted all that often. I can count the people I feel comfortable enough to do that around on one hand, you know, and I haven't shifted once outside of my own apartment since I moved back."

"So it must be someone you know."

Jensen shakes his head. "No way. Look, nobody but my friends and family have been in my apartment and there's no way any of them would do that. I know these people. I trust them, completely."

"Well, then how could someone have gotten those hairs?"

Jensen shrugs. "Someone could have broken in or something, right?"

"Does anyone other than you have a key?"

"My mom, but that's it," Jensen says, and for the first time since Jared met him he doesn't look like the confident, strong-headed guy Jared knows. He looks worried, maybe even scared, and Jared has the urge to take his hand in his, or maybe hug him. 

"Look, I'll send someone around, make sure your place is secure, and we can increase patrols. But just in case you're trusting the wrong people, I need you to make a list of all the people who've been in your apartment."

"You really think it might have been someone I know?" Jensen asks, frowning, and Jared shrugs.

"I don't know these people. But I've learned not to rule anyone out."

  


Jensen is done with the list within minutes, and Jared takes the piece of paper from him and glances at it.

"Sure that's everyone?"

"Yeah.," Jared nods and Jared reads the names more carefully.

"Okay, I'm assuming everyone with the last name Ackles is family. What about the others?"

Jensen leans forward, glancing at the list in Jared's hands even though the names are upside down. "Chris is my best friend. Jason and Steve are two other good friends. Matt is a guy I went on a few dates with a few weeks ago. Tom you already know."

"Matt, huh?" Jared asks. "And you trust him?"

Jensen gives him a small smile. "He's a family friend. Our parents have been friends since forever and I've known Matt all my life. He's a couple of years younger than I am, though, so we were never really close friends before I left town."

"But you reconnected now?" 

"My parents set us up," Jensen replies, shrugging. "He's a really sweet guy."

"Sweet."

"Jealous?" Jensen raises an eyebrow.

"Why should I be? He's sweet and went on a few dates with you weeks ago. I fucked you a few _days_ ago."

Jensen snorts. "Maybe you're right and I am trusting the wrong people. The fact that I slept with you proves how questionable my taste in people is."

Jared grins and puts the list down. "That coming from the guy who lets his parents set him up with _really sweet_ guys," he says. "If the other night is anything to go on, I can promise you sweet isn't what you're looking for in life."

"You call that not being jealous, huh?" Jensen asks, and there's something in the way he looks at Jared that makes his stomach swoop a little. Makes him think of how Jensen had looked sprawled out in his bed, how he'd tasted and smelled, how he'd reacted to Jared's kisses and touches.

"I don't do jealousy," he says instead, trying to stop his train of thoughts. "It was just sex, remember?"

  


"Is this showing up at each other's places becoming a thing?" Jared steps aside to let Jensen into his apartment.

Jensen doesn't hover in the entryway, just shrugs out of his jacket and walks right in. Despite the show of confidence, though, Jared can detect a note of unease, insecurity. Jared follows him, a bit puzzled, and watches as Jensen comes to a halt in the open space between Jared's kitchen and living room, jacket in his hand.

"Want a drink?" he asks.

"Yeah, thanks," Jensen says, and Jared takes the jacket from him. He throws it over one of the stools by the counter.

"What do you want? Wine okay?"

"Got something harder?" 

"Whiskey?" Jared suggests, and gets out two tumblers before Jensen answers.

"Sounds good," Jensen agrees, and Jared leads him over to the couch before getting out a bottle of whiskey from the cabinet where he keeps the harder liquor.

"So, why are you here?" He pours them whiskey, before sitting down next to Jensen and handing him one of the tumblers.

"Would it sound really stupid if I said I didn't feel like being alone?" 

Jared shrugs. "Not really. You have friends, though, so that doesn't explain why you're here and not at one of their places."

"Well, I'm having a hard time figuring out who to trust," Jensen admits quietly. "Your colleagues came over. The ones you said you'd send to check if my place is secure?"

"Okay. And?" Jared asks. "I'm assuming if they'd found a sign of a break-in or anything they would have already called me."

"Yeah, they didn't." Jensen pauses and sighs. "That's just it, though. I almost hoped they would, 'cause that would have been more definite, you know? Something to go on. It would have been better than knowing someone got into my apartment without leaving a trace. Or that, you know, it was someone I consider a friend."

Jared takes a sip of his whiskey. "We're working on it. Things will go back to normal eventually."

"You don't really have a lead," Jensen reminds him. "I read the papers."

"Well, don't trust journalists."

"So you have a lead?" 

Jared grimaces at that. "Not really," he concedes, and Jensen snorts. He takes a big gulp of his whiskey, making a face, before taking another sip.

"I just want this to be over." The admittance comes softly, almost as if Jensen is talking to himself, and Jared doesn't really know what to say to that, how to make it better, so he leans over and kisses Jensen. Jensen makes a soft noise, tilts his head to the side and kisses Jared back. It's softer than the kisses they shared a few nights ago, slower, and Jared pulls back to take the glass from Jensen. He sets it down on the coffee table along with his own and then turns back to Jensen, cups his face in both hands, and kisses him again.

"I didn't come here for this," Jensen murmurs against his lips, and Jared smoothes his thumbs over Jensen's cheeks.

"Want me to stop?" 

Jensen shakes his head. "Not really," he admits and gives Jared a small smile. He throws one leg over Jared's lap and shifts to straddle him, before bringing their lips back together.

Jared didn't really take the time to appreciate it when they first hooked up, but Jensen is a damn good kisser. He's slow but firm, coaxing Jared's lips apart and languidly licking his way into his mouth, sighing ever so softly.

Jared slides his hands up the back of Jensen's thighs, palms them, and then moves farther up. It takes a moment for him to realize that while Jensen's ass feels fantastic – just like he remembered – there's something else there.

"Jensen." He his head back to break the kiss. "Jensen, is there a gun tucked in the back of your jeans?"

"Relax, the safety's on," Jensen replies, and Jared stifles a laugh.

"That's good to know." He reaches to pull the gun out and then holds it in his hands for a second, feels the weight. Jensen shifts in his lap to look at it.

"It was my grandpa's," he says. "I usually keep it locked away, but with what's going on I felt like it might be a good idea to keep it on me. I'm pretty good at martial arts, actually, but I figured a weapon can't hurt. I'm not going to sit around, waiting for something to happen to me."

"I never said you should." Jared leans forward, one hand secure on the small of Jensen's back to make sure he doesn't fall off his lap, and puts the gun down on the coffee table. "So, can I ask why you came here instead of staying at your place then?" 

Jensen bites down on his lower lip, white teeth contrasting with the pink of his lip. "The first victim was an agent. I'm pretty sure she knew how to defend herself, too."

"She did," Jared agrees and pulls Jensen a little closer. "So, martial arts _and_ a gun."

"Surprised, Agent?"

"A bit," Jared admits.

Jensen snorts. "I'm not helpless." He sounds a bit indignant even though Jared didn't say anything to imply he was. "I can defend myself pretty well. The only reason you had the upper hand the other night is because I let you have it."

"Hmm. I know," Jared murmurs, remembering the way Jensen looked under him, writhed under him, strong and confident.

"Well then." Jensen kisses him. "How about you let me be in control this time then?"

The challenge is clear in his eyes, and Jared just smiles and shrugs. "Sure." 

Jensen looks both surprised and pleased and Jared feels like maybe they're making progress.

  


Jared is pretty sure he is going to hand control over to Jensen every time he wants it, if this is what it leads to.

Jensen spreads Jared out on the couch, kisses Jared and rocks down against him until they're both hard and sweaty, and then vanishes into Jared's bedroom for condoms and lube. He returns with both, completely naked, and Jared rushes to catch up.

Jensen gets himself ready, and then he straddles Jared's hips and sinks down on him in one go. He rides Jared with both hands on Jared's chest, the muscles in his thighs taut and firm as he pushes himself up and down. Jared holds on to them, fingers digging into flesh, and does his best to meet Jensen's rhythm, thrusting his hips up into Jensen.

It's messy and their rhythms don't exactly match, but it's perfect, and Jared pulls Jensen down into a kiss when he feels himself about to come. 

He coaxes Jensen into moving to his bedroom afterward, and they tumble onto Jared's bed, pulling the covers up over them and Jensen rests his head on Jared's chest and yawns.

"Doesn't mean anything," he mumbles.

"Yeah," Jared agrees and runs his fingers through Jensen's hair. "'Night, Jensen."

  


Having Jensen in his bed – or on his couch – is one thing, but seeing him sitting at his kitchen table the next morning is a whole other thing. Their relationship is precarious at best, based on snarky comments and good sex, but looking at Jensen now you wouldn't know it.

He's wearing a pair of Jared's black boxer briefs, and one of Jared's white dress shirts, unbuttoned. There's a bite mark on his collarbone that Jared can't remember putting there, and a couple of scratches running up the back of his thighs from where Jared ran up his nails. He looks debauched, hair disheveled, as he sips his coffee.

"Sure you don't want some food?" Jared asks, for the second time, and Jensen shakes his head.

"I'm good. I need to get home, get dressed, and get to work."

Jared sighs and glances at his watch. "Actually, I need to get going soon, too." 

Jensen stretches his arms over his head. "Well, let's get ready then and get going," he suggests, and Jared feels reluctant to agree, but he does anyway.

It's a bit awkward, the two of them dancing around each other as they get dressed and try to make sure they look presentable.

"So," Jared says when they finally make it to the front door. "Be careful, okay?"

Jensen smirks up at him, head cocked to the side. "Are you worried about me, Agent Padalecki?"

"Just doing my job." Jared opens the door with a flourish, waving Jensen out, but he's pretty sure they both know he's lying.

  


Jared leaves work for the day at a decent time for once, and decides to drop by Jensen's bookstore to check on him. He doubts Jensen is going to appreciate it, but he feels antsy, like he needs to make sure Jensen is doing all right and nothing happened.

He's checked out all the people on Jensen's list, even Jensen's family, just to be sure, but they all seem rather innocuous.

The bell above the door of the bookstore chimes just like it did the first time Jared entered it. Jensen looks up from the book he'd been reading behind the counter and raises his eyebrows when he sees him.

"Bad news?" 

Jared shakes his head. "No news. Just thought I'd drop by, see how you're doing."

Jensen closes his book and groans. "Are you serious?"

"About?"

"This." Jensen waves his head around. "We're not dating, Jared. You don't need to come by my work place, or walk me home, or play big bad protector for little, innocent me! I'm good on my own, okay? Jesus."

"Okay," Jared says slowly, holding his hands up. "I'm not the one who showed up on my doorstep last night, looking for company. And considering you're involved in a homicide case right now, which I'm investigating might I add, I don't think me dropping by here is completely uncalled for."

Jensen looks at him and deflates, letting out an awkward laugh. "Fuck," he mutters. " _Fuck_. I'm sorry. I'm a little on edge and I guess I kinda overreacted."

"You think?" Jared takes a step closer. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Jensen says, and looks around the store. "Tom? I'm in the back for a while!"

"Okay!" comes the reply from the back of the store somewhere, and Jensen waves Jared around the counter. 

Jensen's office is small, the light dim, and Jared frowns. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"It's nothing. I kind of got into a bit of a fight with Matt."

"Matt. Your ex, Matt?"

Jensen snorts. "He's not my ex. We only went on a few dates."

"I thought he was sweet?" Jared asks sarcastically.

"Yeah, well. He apparently didn't get the memo that this dating thing wasn't working out between us," Jensen says. "We only had dinner a handful of times, you know? And he came by here today asking why I hadn't called him and that he thought we were really good together. It got kinda annoying."

"Annoying as in you might need a restraining order against him?"

Jensen laughs. "God no. He's a good guy, I promise. It wasn't really that bad. I think I maybe just got his hopes up a little and we weren't on the same page about where we stood, is all." He halts, giving Jared an almost sheepish look. "I just get irritated when guys get like that. When they can't take no for an answer and make assumptions about me and how I should behave."

Jared raises his eyebrows in question. "Meaning?"

Jensen shrugs. "I have a type, you know. Taller than me, buff, that sorta thing. Doesn't mean I like all this alpha male behavior crap, but guys just assume," he says. "If I hear the term 'cocksucking lips' one more time I will punch someone, and my job doesn't reflect anything about my personality either."

"And Matt implied that?" Jared guesses.

"Kinda. He didn't mean anything by it. It's just, well, I think my parents have kinda been encouraging this whole thing and it's been giving him the wrong impression," Jensen explains. "He's involved in the Opposition and as you know, my family is too, and they think we're a good match. Better than any of the guys I brought home before."

Jared snorts. "Sounds charming."

"I love my parents, they're just kind of overbearing. And I think maybe I sent Matt the wrong signals, because I truly do like him. Just not in the way he thought."

"Okay."

"Guess I really don't like sweet guys all that much," Jensen admits softly. "God, you should have seen him. He was so genuinely puzzled when I told him I wasn't into him and he kept asking why, and that I should give him another chance."

"Well, the offer of the restraining order still stands if you need it in the future," Jared says, and Jensen smiles.

"Don't worry about it. It just put me in a bad mood and then you came in..." Jensen trails off. "Sorry."

"Okay. So you won't rip my head off the next time I drop by?"

"There'll be a next time?"

Jared smiles. "Homicide case," he reminds Jensen. "Just doing my job. I'm the best agent the force has – I take this seriously."

Jensen smirks at him and hums under his breath, and Jared moves in closer, ducks his head down and kisses Jensen softly.

"Really doesn't mean anything," Jensen says with a smile and Jared returns it.

  


The third dead body shows up early the next afternoon, in a parking garage only a few blocks away from the Task Force's headquarters.

The claw marks are scratched into the paint of the car next to the body, and the guy has been shot once like the other two victims, the scent of perfume still in the air, mixing with that of exhaust fumes. The only difference this time is that it's not a shapeshifter, it's a human.

"We're fucked," Danneel mutters, and Jared can't help but agree.

They spent the afternoon searching every inch of the parking garage, and Jared is about to give up, resign himself to the fact that they're not going to find anything and Jeff is going to rip their heads off, when Danneel jogs up to him.

"Jay! We found a weapon," she calls.

"You did? Are you serious?"

Danneel shrugs. "I know. If it is the murder weapon, I'm really not sure why the killer would dump it, but maybe this is the lead we've been hoping for." 

She leads Jared down one floor to the parkdeck there. Genevieve raises her hand in greeting when she spots them and holds up the gun in a plastic wrapper.

"Looky here what we found," she says, and Jared takes one look at it and recognizes it. 

It's Jensen's.

  


The bullet that killed the victim and the gun they found match, and it's registered under Jensen's name. Jared doesn't argue when Jeff orders to get him in for questioning, and neither does Danneel.

Jared refuses to be the one to go get Jensen though, and Jeff seems relieved. Instead Jared holes himself up in his office, spreads out all the notes they have on the case, and reads them over and over until he feels a headache coming on.

"He wants to talk to you," Jeff says, and Jared looks up to find him standing in the doorway. "Actually, he refuses to talk to anyone but you."

Jared straightens and gathers the notes into one pile. "And?"

"And what?"

"Do you want me to talk to him? Because I have a feeling you don't exactly trust me on this one."

Jeff shrugs. "It's your case."

"Okay," Jared says, nodding. "But just for the record, I still don't think he's guilty."

"Yeah well, just for the record, keep an open mind," Jeff replies, and Jared doesn't reply because he doesn't want to lie to his boss.

Jensen is sitting in the interrogation room, looking dejectedly at Jared.

"So, I'm a suspect after all now?" 

Jared sighs, sliding onto the chair across from him. "We found your gun at a murder scene. And the third victim was killed with it."

"So you think it was me?" 

"No, I don't," Jared says honestly. "But I need you to tell me how it's possible that the gun I know you had on you a couple of days ago was found at a murder scene today, Jensen."

Jensen meets his eyes and holds his gaze. "I don't know, Jared. I'm guessing someone took it."

"Did you notice it was gone?" Jared asks, and Jensen shakes his head. "Okay, where did you last see it?"

"At the bookstore. I took it into work with me yesterday, but locked it in the drawer of my desk in my office; thought that was safer."

"And you didn't take it home with you that night?"

"Tom and I were doing inventory. It got pretty late, and I forgot it was still in my office," Jensen says. "I don't know how it ended up at the murder scene, but I guess someone must have taken it."

"Okay. I'll send someone to your store, make them check the drawer."

"What for?" Jensen asks. "It's obviously not there anymore."

"To see if the drawer was opened by forced. You said it was locked, so we need proof for that."

"You believe me, right?" Jensen asks, and Jared gives him a small smile.

"I do, Jensen," he assures him again. "I just can't promise everyone on the force will, too."

"Just get me out of here, okay?"

"I will, Jensen," Jared says.

  


Danneel and Genevieve go check on the store, because Jared doesn't feel comfortable leaving the station when Jensen is there.

To Jared's relief, the story checks out. The tiny lock on the drawer of his desk is broken and the drawer is empty. 

He spends a good hour talking to Jeff, until Jeff agrees to let Jensen go. There are no finger prints on the gun, no proof that Jensen was at or anywhere near the crime scene that day, and the gun doesn't match with the gunshot wounds of any of the other victims. With Jared all but pleading Jensen's case, Jeff gives in.

"Thank you," Jensen says when Jared walks him out of the headquarters to where a cab is waiting for him.

"Nothing to thank me for," Jared says, and Jensen snorts.

"It would have been really easy to pin this on me."

Jared shrugs. "Yeah, but what good would that do? There'd still be a killer running around." 

Jensen gives him a small smile, looking tired and worn. "You know, maybe not everyone at the Task Force is as bad as I always thought."

"No?"

"You're pretty decent," Jensen says. "Not sure you're good at your job, 'cause you're breaking about a billion rules and I'm questioning your methods. Plus, I still think the Task Force is getting away with way too much and making up rules that suit you. But you're in it for the right reasons, Jared, and you're a pretty good person."

"I'm taking that as a compliment and ignoring the insults." Jared stops by the cab, his hand on Jensen's back. "Listen, I'll come see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Are you sure you're not gonna get in trouble for seeing me?"

"Don't care." 

Jensen smiles. "Okay," he says, and Jared kisses him softly before watching Jensen get into the cab.

  


Jared watches the security tapes from the parking garage before he leaves that day, and twice more the next day. Danneel joins him for the third view, but there's nothing there. It's people coming and going, but nothing that jumps out at either of them.

"I'm calling it a day." Jared rubs a hand over his eyes. They're hurting and itching, and Danneel rests a hand on his shoulder.

"Get some rest, Jay."

"I will. I just need to go see Jensen and then I'll go home and sleep."

"Say hi to him from me, okay?" Danneel asks.

"You talked to him lately?"

Danneel shrugs. "Yesterday, when he was here – but just briefly. Things are a bit weird right now. But we're gonna go get coffee once all of this is over."

"You believe that he's innocent, too, right? That he has nothing to do with this murder or any of the other ones?" Jared asks, and Danneel rolls her eyes.

"I was the one telling you that from the start, idiot." She leans in, and softly kisses his cheek. "I'm glad you like him, hon."

Jared snorts. "Like is a pretty strong word. We don't _hate_ each other."

"Uh-huh," Danneel says, nodding and patting his arm, and Jared doesn't bother arguing with her. It'd be a moot point anyway.

  


"Come to walk me home, huh?" Jensen asks, locking the door of _Calliope_ , and Jared shrugs.

"Figured it might be best – if you're with me, you have a good alibi, remember?" 

"Hmm, right." Jensen shoves his hands into the pockets of his coat.

"My car's over there," Jared says, pointing down the street. 

"I live ten minutes from here," Jensen complains, and Jared glances at him.

"Still."

Jensen sighs, but falls into step next to Jared. "So, my parents called me earlier, because they heard I got arrested. They're pretty pissed at the Task Force and they'll definitely make a fuss about the whole thing."

"Did you tell them that a dashing, young agent actually busted you out?" Jared asks, unlocking his car with the remote, and Jensen laughs softly.

"Must have slipped my mind." He grins, stopping at the door to the passenger side, and Jared rolls his eyes at him. 

"Of course." He takes a couple of steps to move around the car to the driver's side, when a gunshot pierces through the silence suddenly, the bullet hitting the wall next to Jared's left, brick splintering.

"Down!" Jared yells. "Jensen, get down!"

He reaches for Jensen, pushes him down with him, and they go down hard, Jared's weight pressing Jensen into the cold ground. There's a second shot, the sound echoing through the air, and Jared curses.

"Shit," he mutters, and grabs his own gun from his pocket.

"Jay?"

Jared glances at Jensen, and pulls out his cell, pressing it into Jensen's chest.

"Call Danneel. She's on speed dial. Tell her we need backup," he says, and then moves into a crouch, trying to peer through the window of his car. He thinks he sees movement in one of the windows across the street, but it could be anyone, and Jared is not about to shoot at innocent people. He tightens his grip on his gun, finger on the trigger, and listens to Jensen make the call.

  


"It's just scrapes," Jensen says when Jared sits down in the open back of the ambulance next to him and runs a finger along the edge of a Band-Aid.

"Nothing else hurt?" he asks, and Jensen shakes his head.

"How about you? Are you okay?" 

"I'm good. Landed mostly on top of you." 

Jensen grins wryly. "I noticed," he says, and then sighs, glancing to where Jared's car is parked a few feet away.

Jeff is standing there, and he looks over at them, beckoning with his hand. Jared leans in and presses a kiss to Jensen's temple.

"I'll be right back, okay?"

"Sure." Jensen smiles, nudging him. "Go talk to your boss."

Jared gets up and Jeff meets him halfway, a grim look on his face. "You okay, kid?" he asks, and Jared grimaces.

"Fine. Not feeling particularly happy about being shot at, but I'm doing okay."

"And, um, Ackles?" Jeff asks, glancing past Jared.

"He's doing okay. But I'm going to take him home now, if that's okay. We're staying at my place." Jared pauses. "Increase the patrol in the area for the night, would you?"

"Jared," Jeff says with a sigh. "Look, I know you two just got shot at, but I want to be honest with you. I don't like this. He's still a suspect."

"Not in my investigation, boss," Jared replies and Jeff doesn't look happy, but he nods.

"Get home. I'll call you if there is any news."

Jared nods and turns around, heading back to Jensen's side. "Ready to get out of here?" 

Jensen snorts. "More than ready."

He takes the hand Jared offers him to help him get up and follows Jared to his car. He doesn't protest when Jared drives in the direction of his own place, a car with two of his colleagues from the force following close behind.

In his apartment, Jared tells Jensen to sit down in the living room and starts making tea, because he feels like he needs to do something and his mother always used to make tea for him when something was wrong. 

He joins Jensen on the couch with two steaming mugs and a bag of chips, the only food he found in his pantry that doesn't need to be prepared. 

Jensen takes only a small sip of his tea before he sets the mug down on the table and leans into Jared's side.

"They were shooting at you," he says, and Jared turns to look at him. "You were a couple of steps ahead of me, and the bullet hole in the wall behind us was right where you were standing, not where I was."

"I know," Jared replies calmly. He noticed it pretty much the second they hit the ground together, and he's told Jeff, too.

"God," Jensen mutters and runs a hand over his face. "I thought someone was out to get _me_."

"I'm the one protecting you."

"Great. So now I'm putting _you_ in danger, too."

"Jensen. I'm in danger all the time. It's my job," Jared replies. "Don't worry about it."

Jensen shifts, resting his head on Jared's shoulder and Jared slides his arm around him. He kisses the top of Jensen's head and Jensen sighs.

"This means nothing, I know," Jared mocks, and Jensen tilts his head back, looking up at Jared.

"Shut up." The words are spoken without any heat, and he slides one hand to Jared's neck, tugging him down into a quick, dry kiss. "Jared?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think we could shift?" Jensen asks softly. "It's kind of what I do when I feel agitated or upset. And I'm feeling pretty damn agitated right now."

The words make Jared pause, because he remembers Jensen telling him that he rarely shifts around people, and they don't know each other well, despite everything. "Are you sure?" 

"I asked, didn't I?" Jensen replies, and Jared pulls back a little, shrugs.

"Yeah, okay. It's fine with me."

"Good," Jensen says, and pulls back, pressing a quick kiss to the corner of Jared's mouth. "Thank you."

He gets off the couch, hands going to his shirt before he stops. "Let's go the bedroom. We both need sleep and the bed is probably more comfortable than the couch," he suggests, and Jared nods.

They turn off the lights as they go, and Jared takes his gun with him just in case, putting it on the nightstand. Neither of them says a word as they undress.

Jensen shifts first, without any hesitation. Jared takes a moment to look, take in the big, black jaguar standing in his bedroom, green eyes looking up at him. He smiles and then shifts into his wolf form as well, before jumping onto his bed.

The mattress dips when Jensen joins him, and they curl up, bodies slotting together, and Jared pushes his snout into Jensen's silky, soft fur and finally relaxes.

  


"You're back at work?" Danneel asks, surprised, and Jared shrugs.

"Still got a case to solve."

"You got shot at," Danneel reminds him, following Jared into his office, and Jared snorts.

"I wasn't hurt, Danni. And I want this case to be over with – it's getting a bit personal."

"How's Jensen, anyway?" Danneel asks, and Jared moves a few sheets of papers and files aside to make room on his desk for his coffee mug.

"He's doing okay." He turns, leaning against the desk and looking at Danneel. "Yesterday shook him, but it shook _me_ too."

"I bet. So, what do we do now? Any ideas?"

"Not really," Jared says and picks up a random stack of papers. "I'll look through everything we have. For the billionth time. Maybe there's something we missed."

Danneel nods, and pulls out the chair next to where Jared is standing, sitting down. "Well, give me half of those and let's get to work then."

Jared grins and divides the pile into two, handing one over to Danneel before rounding his desk to sit down. They're quiet at first, both of them perusing the notes quietly, before they start making the occasional remark, throwing ideas out just to get a second opinion.

There are the files of all three victims, notes on their hacked system, notes on Jensen. Jared flips through the profiles he printed out of the people from Jensen's list, barely glancing at them because he doubts Jensen's family and best friends are the lead they're looking for.

"Wait a second." He stops, looking down at one of the files.

"What is it?" 

Jared pulls a few pieces of paper out of a stack and shows them to Danneel. "The guy in the photo, does he look familiar?" 

Danneel studies the small head-shot, frowning. "Kinda. Maybe?" she says. "Who's that?"

Jared looks down at the file again, rolling his lip between his teeth. The photo is small and crappy, and Jared guesses it's a few years old, because the date of birth listed would put the guy in his late twenties, and he doesn't look a day over twenty in the headshot. "Matt Cohen. A guy Jensen dated."

"And?"

"And add a handful of years, some stubble, and a few pounds, and he kinda looks like one of the guys on the tape from the parking garage, I think."

"You think Jensen's ex..."

Jared shrugs. "Jensen rejected him," he says. "And they had a pretty big row a few days ago. We've had worse motives."

"True," Danneel admits.

"Okay, tapes. You go get Jeff," Jared says, getting up. He feels a new surge of energy suddenly, the familiar tingling in his belly he always gets when the job gets interesting, and this time he feels more determined than ever to finally get this whole thing over with.

  


Matt Cohen is on the tapes and less than an hour later, they're knocking on the door to Matt's apartment.

"Task Force. Open up!" Jared yells, gun in his hand.

He hears a noise from inside, then nothing, and Jared glances back. Danneel is right behind him, along with five other agents, and Jared nods at the door. He takes a step back, and uses all his force to give the door one good kick, and then another. The wood splinters finally, and Jared pushes the door open, gun raised, and Danneel steps in first.

They're barely inside, Danneel peering around the first corner, when the first shot is fired at them, and she ducks back, presses against the wall.

"Matt!" Jared calls. "Just give up. You're outnumbered, dude, and you're not getting out of here unless it's in cuffs."

"We'll see," an unfamiliar voice answers, and Jared sighs. He lifts his head, gives Danneel another nod. She lifts her gun and peers around the corner, and shoots.

"Got him," she says, and steps into the room, Jared following suit. Matt is cowering on the floor, a hand pressed to his shoulder, the scent of his blood in the air.

Jared sees the second Matt makes a grab for his gun, lying on the floor next to him, and without thinking, he shifts and jumps, a loud growl ripping from his throat. He sinks his teeth into Matt's shoulder, taste metallic blood on his tongue, and he feels Matt shift too. He tightens his jaw, feels claws digging into his flesh, teeth snapping at his jaw, and then a loud howl when he twists his head, teeth still embedded in flesh.

  


"Danneel called me," Jensen says, looking Jared up and down with worried eyes and Jared sinks down onto his couch with a sigh.

"I'm okay."

"She says you two shifted and fought." Jensen stands in front of Jared, looking both mad and helpless. "Why did you do that? Why didn't you just shoot him?"

"I wasn't really thinking," Jared admits.

"You're an agent! You _should_ know better."

"Yeah, well, there's a reason they don't let you deal with cases you're emotionally involved in. Makes you a bit stupid," Jared says, and offers Jensen a small smile.

Jensen doesn't return it. Instead, he waves his hand at Jared. "Let me see your shoulder."

"It's all wrapped up, Jensen."

"I don't care. I want to see your shoulder. See how bad it is."

"It's not that bad," Jared replies, but he shrugs out of his shirt. Jensen kneels on the couch next to him and helps, tossing the shirt away before he carefully starts peeling back the thick white bandage that is covering Jared's shoulder.

Jensen hisses and Jared looks at him. "It's really _not_ bad. I just need a few days of rest and I'll be good as new."

"Any other injuries?" Jensen asks, obviously ignoring him, but he covers the wound with the bandage again, his touch soft and careful.

"A few scratches, that's it."

Jensen sighs and sits back on his haunches, looking at Jared with tired, worried eyes. "Why'd he do it?"

"Matt? I thought you said you talked to Danneel – didn't she fill you in?"

"Not really. I was in a bit of a hurry to get here, check on you."

"Worried, huh?" Jared teases and leans back, his shoulder twinging painfully as he does so. "It wasn't about you. Not really, anyway."

"It wasn't?"

Jared rolls his eyes. "Jensen, I know you thought the guy was sweet, but he was a nut job," he says. "He thought if you were arrested for murder – especially wrongfully – it would cause a huge stir and give the Opposition the incitement they needed to start new trouble. According to him, the Opposition, and especially people like you, were getting too complacent."

"Seriously?"

Jared shrugs. "The plan actually makes sense. You're an Ackles. It probably would have been a huge deal. Not sure it would have lead to the rebellion he was hoping for, but it sure wouldn't have been pretty."

Jensen huffs. "So, I was a pawn in some struggle for power? He was willing to ruin my whole life for that?"

"Guess so."

"You think that's why he dated me, too? Part of his plan?"

"I'm not sure," Jared admits. "I didn't exactly stick around and ask him all that stuff. And whatever his reasons, the guy was crazy, okay?" 

"Good thing he failed, huh?" 

"Well, he didn't take into consideration that we wouldn't just arrest you without real proof."

" _You_ wouldn't," Jensen replies.

"Because you were innocent, Jensen."

"So, not because I'm good in bed."

"No," Jared says, and Jensen smiles, leaning in and kissing Jared. He cards his fingers through Jared's hair, and Jared sighs happily, ignoring the pain in his shoulder as he twists so the angle is better.

"You staying the night?" he murmurs when they break apart, and Jensen nods.

"Someone needs to take care of you." He grins and smoothes his thumb over Jared's brow. "Plus, I want to."

"Hmm, good. But fair warning, I don't think I'm up for anything crazy tonight."

"You're hurt," Jensen says indignantly. "We're going to go to bed and that's it, Jared."

"I said nothing crazy, not nothing at all," Jared argues. "I'm really okay, Jensen. I've had worse."

Jensen doesn't look convinced, still, and Jared rolls his eyes, gets up, and holds out a hand. "Come on. We can at least make out for a while. I can't promise I won't try to cop a feel, though."

Jensen laughs, and unfolds himself from the couch, getting up. "You're horrible," he complains, but he slides his hand into Jared's and tugs him to the bedroom.

"Hey, Jared?" he says as he crawls onto the bed moments later, sliding under the covers next to Jared.

"What?"

Jensen leans over him, propped up on his elbows and smiles, kissing Jared softly. "You know this means something, right?"

A surprised laugh escapes Jared, and he nods. "Yeah. Knew it since you barged into my apartment and yelled at me." 

Jensen smiles at him, wide and genuine. "Yeah, me too."


End file.
